Permission granted for three cottages to be converted to holiday accommodation

Permission granted for three cottages to be converted to holiday accommodation

This is an archived press release

Friday 9 March 2012

An application to turn three grade II listed cottages in Beeley into six en-suite letting rooms has been approved by the Peak District National Park Authority’s planning committee.

The permission allows the Chatsworth Settlement Trustees to convert the mid-nineteenth century dwellings into extra accommodation for the Devonshire Arms hotel opposite.

The distinctive Dove Cottages, built in an unusual Y-shaped plan, are in Beeley Conservation Area, at the centre of the village.

Local residents objected to the change of use from residential to visitor accommodation and Beeley Heritage Group sent in a petition of 61 signatures.

Resident Siobhan Spencer told the committee that local people are concerned about the growing number of holiday homes in Beeley and there being insufficient affordable homes for young people and rural workers.

Land agent Nick Wood told the committee that Chatsworth Estate owns 31 houses in Beeley village, 15 are occupied by estate staff and pensioners, 2 are let to the Devonshire Arms (one for letting and one for staff) and 12 are let on residential tenancies.

John Herbert, who chairs the Authority’s planning committee said: “We understand the concerns that residents have raised but there was no local needs occupancy restriction attached to these dwellings so they could have been rented to people from outside the village or let out as individual holiday cottages without the need for planning permission.

“However, we are keen to make sure that local communities are consulted on plans that affect them so we are asking the Trustees to engage with residents of Beeley on the future of the village.

“There is a balance to be struck between the economic benefits of providing visitor accommodation and opportunities for local employment in the village whilst retaining smaller properties for the community. There are no restrictions on the use of the properties at present and we considered that the proposed use is acceptable.”

The Devonshire Arms currently provides dining and 8 letting rooms which sustains 22 jobs. The new development will increase the letting rooms to 14 and create 3 more jobs.

Alterations to the properties will be mainly internal and will preserve the historic fabric and layout of the building. A more modern conservatory will also be removed to restore and enhance the appearance of the cottages.

The development includes parking spaces with overspill in the large hotel car park close by to minimise on-street parking.